Survey of radiography, radiographic equipment and radiation protection in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Objective: The objective was to survey dentists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (in government and private sector) to assess their level of knowledge on dental radiography, radiographic equipment and radiation protection, and to evaluate if current dental radiology practices are in accordance with guideline...
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| Format: | Book |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications,
2014-01-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Objective: The objective was to survey dentists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (in government and private sector) to assess their level of knowledge on dental radiography, radiographic equipment and radiation protection, and to evaluate if current dental radiology practices are in accordance with guidelines of UK. Materials and Methods: A survey questionnaire (English and Arabic) containing 15 questions was delivered by hand to 462 dentists. It contained questions on intraoral techniques, image receptor, collimator, film speed, processing, viewing mode, kVp, panoramic equipment, lead apron, person taking radiographs, radiation monitors, and local dental radiology manual. Results: A total of 373 (81%) dentists responded to the survey. Results show a lack of awareness in radiation protection and dose reduction techniques. A high proportion of respondents did not know about, film speed (45%), collimator type (42%), kVp of intraoral equipment (31%), and local dental radiology manual (66%). Further, only 13% use rectangular collimator, 55% use beam alignment, 25% use D speed film, 10% use background light for viewing, 7% of intraoral equipment is operated at 50 kVp, and 21% use digital intraoral equipment. Only 20% of the government sector dentists are directly involved in taking intraoral radiographs compared to 52% in the private sector. Responses from the government sector showed a higher proportion of "do not know" answers compared with the private sector. Conclusion: It is required to implement internationally recommended standards to improve awareness and knowledge among dentists regarding dental radiography and radiation protection. Furthermore, improvement in undergraduate education level and establishment of postgraduate courses on dental radiology are strongly recommended. |
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| Item Description: | 2321-385X 10.4103/2321-3841.138633 |